Voice Song begins with, and includes, several flight call-like kip-kip notes, and often ends in a buzzing trill. Experts can discern differences in calls among separate populations.

Discussion Plump-bodied finch whose bill has cross-tipped mandibles (feature shared only with White-winged); used to extract seeds from between scales of conifer cones. Precise size and shape of bill varies subtly across region and several forms (possibly even species) occur, each adapted to feed on different conifer species. Forms nomadic flocks outside breeding season. Sexes are dissimilar.